


Quiet Reassurance and Liquor-Fueled Schemes

by Cuzosu



Series: Wolves and Losers [3]
Category: Iskryne Series - Elizabeth Bear & Sarah Monette, The Losers (2010), The Losers (Comic)
Genre: Alcohol, M/M, Meet the Family, Team as Family, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:06:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27925738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuzosu/pseuds/Cuzosu
Summary: Jackie meets Cougar. It takes her time to figure out what to make of him, but that doesn't bother Cougar in the least.Jake gets the reassurance of two people who have his back, no matter what.
Relationships: Carlos "Cougar" Alvarez/Jake Jensen
Series: Wolves and Losers [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2044669
Comments: 1
Kudos: 41





	Quiet Reassurance and Liquor-Fueled Schemes

**Author's Note:**

> This one is less focused on the wolves, but I figured family bonding was worth it.

Jackie was nervous. She'd never met any of Jake's special forces teammates yet, but this one came highly touted by said brother as lethal... and quiet, though she wasn't sure exactly how he meant that.

Meeting Cougar did not immediately set her at ease. The sniper was nearly mute, barely moved for the first three hours he was there. His wolf was much more still and contained than Donna, too, and it was eerie to watch.

Everything changed when she sent Jake to fetch Jessie from school—and inadvertently sent Cougar with.

"C'mon, Cougs," her brother demanded, grabbing a tan wrist like it was a lifeline, like it was his right. "Every time I pick her up, I get a bunch of moms trying to treat me like I'm a child they can order around."

Cougar gave him a look from under the brim of his hat; unlike Jackie, Jake read it just fine.

"Don't even go there, man. I take orders from Clay because he's got a heart and that's unusual in a commander, plus he comes up with some really good plans. And besides, I figure you'll be so busy with the ladies they'll all forget about me."

She watched the sniper grace Jake with a look that clearly stated he was not forgettable in the least. Not even two seconds later, Donna floored her brother hard, intent on fleeing but tail wagging. She plowed into him, crashed them both into a wall, and then Jackie felt her jaw hit the floor as the too-sedate black wolf bounded gracefully in, nipped her flank and darted back out of reach in what was clearly a game of tag.

Before Jackie could reprimand Jake for what was clearly turning into a wolfish game instead of picking up Jessie, a two-fingered whistle caught everyone's attention. Heads turned to see Cougar, eyebrows raised. He lifted one hand to point at the door in a silent order.

"Thanks!" Jake exclaimed, scrambling to his feet and bouncing out front to wait for his teammate.

Sangre sent a calm query, got back, _Fetching puppy._

Donna knew and liked said puppy already, managed to squeeze out the doorway just in front of her black-furred packmate.

A smirk on his lips, Cougar tipped his hat to Jackie in a silent farewell, then followed his teammates out the door. Before it shut behind him, Jackie heard Jake's, "Jessie's gonna love you, man, but if you steal my niece, I will make you pay."

What Jackie didn't observe was Cougar pulling out his wallet and proffering it in Jake's direction. Nor, unfortunately, did she hear her brother telling him, "Oh, fuck you, asshole; you know I didn't mean money." Even if she'd been able to see through the door, she wouldn't have understood the sniper's look, which Jake clearly did. "Fine, you can steal her, too; you've already stolen me."

 _More than once,_ Cougar agreed, then gestured for the blond to lead the way. He might have come along anyway, but it was a definite thing when he'd caught Jake's reaction to the thought of the moms: bewildered hurt, anger, and loneliness. Jake Jensen was and always had been pack-oriented, so for him to be treated like a child when he was doing the responsible adult thing—well, for all that he looked irresponsible, he was still a soldier, special forces trained and closer to Cougar in speed and agility than any other Loser; he wasn't going to stand for danger to the kids. Just because he treated leave and family time as playtime didn't mean he was any less dangerous a foe. It just meant he enjoyed what he was doing. And, while he was on that topic, Cougar wanted to make it clear to Jake that he was enjoying this, too.

Jake stopped in his tracks to stare at the sniper when he felt a wave of contented happiness flow through the pack sense. "Thanks, Cougs," he managed, but the pack sense conveyed it much more clearly: _Gratitude, appreciation, why do people not see the real me?_

Cougar nudged him with a shoulder as he passed, sent, _Eyes open. I see._

Unable to stop the grin stretching his lips, Jake started walking again, too. "Fuckin' voyeur," he teased. "Watchin' everything."

Smirking because he'd gotten the response he'd intended, Cougar said, "Si."

Jackie maybe should have gone with; then at least she'd have understood a little more of the video Jake sent about an hour and a half later. It featured Cougar, solemn and surrounded by moms—sheesh, Jake hadn't been joking! She watched with wide eyes as one of the moms all but stripped in front of him, stopped only by the presence of other moms more aware of children. Words appeared on the screen, no doubt Jake's doing: "And if you think that's bad, you should go bar hopping with us."

Unsure if she wanted to, Jackie typed, "Is that supposed to be a threat or an offer?"

Jake sent back, "Bait. Cougs wants to know if having you there will change how I act when I'm drunk."

Which explained how she ended up in a bar with two Losers a few days later, her daughter at a sleepover and safely out of it all.

Saluting his sister wryly, Jake tipped back his latest shot and found amusement in her expression. "What? Not drinking? Lightweight," he teased.

Cougar rolled his eyes. "You and Pooch are Losers lightweights," countered the sniper.

Laughter dawning in her eyes, Jackie asked, "What makes them lightweights?"

Jake muttered about Pooch being a 'married lightweight asshole,' which had Cougar snickering into his drink. She took it to mean that Pooch drank less because he was happily married and didn't want to wake up in another woman's bed, but that still left one more....

"And you, crazy head?" Okay, so maybe she and Jessie had watched  Lilo and Stitch  recently. It wasn't a crime!

Pouting, he said, "Losers team drinking gets competitive, mixes alcohols." He was working up to a heavy sulk when Cougar knocked their shoulders together and gestured at his own drink—a formerly full bottle—with his chin. "You're right, Cougs," the blond man nodded. "My liquor tolerance has been improving."

Despite how proud and happy her brother sounded about it, Jackie had a sinking feeling his improved tolerance for alcohol wasn't nearly so good a thing as he believed. She was opening her mouth to say so when somebody bumped into her from behind, spilling her drink and copping a feel in the process. Her jaw was still dropping in outrage when Cougar's eyes went cold, but she caught some of what happened.

There must have been more than just the one guy, because the laid-back sniper she'd met picked up a nearby chair and swung. It connected with a satisfying crack, louder than the sound of Jake's fist meeting someone else's face. From there, it all spun out of control and turned into a bar fight—she dreaded to think this might be a typical bar crawl for them, but as in sync as the two were, she wondered—and the next thing she knew, Jake was pulling her toward the exit.

Outside, she stopped. "He's still in there!"

"Not for long," was the wry response. "He wanted us out before he left. Think it's his particular mindset; even off the job, he's always either covering our retreat or scouting a route." Jake's laughing tone clearly said he thought it neat that he finally had a unit that couldn't seem to stop being a team.

Jackie was just glad he finally was with people who had his back.

Cougar slid outside, grinning as someone was tossed through the door behind him. It was a more open expression than Jackie had seen on him yet—and it was mirrored by Jake, who laughed aloud and stated, "Dude, I think we both pick more fights when we drink with my sister in public."

Shrugging, but still smiling widely, the sniper could only agree. "Si."

Taking advantage of his height, Jake slung an arm over each of his companions and started walking. "Fun, though." As they walked along, he was quiet in a way that would have been disturbing had they not been drinking, then said, "I dunno, kinda want to use this as an excuse to go rounds with Clay and watch you kick Roque's ass in an unfair fight, though, Cougs."

The sniper stopped, pulled aside and stared a solemn question at his teammate. _Play fight? Prank? Clay is boss bitch, outranks us all to hell. Leads well, too._

Sometimes Jake thought Cougar's customary silence made him think like a wolf much easier than any other human. He stuffed down the laughter only because he wanted input on his idea... and Cougar's approval, of course. "Drag the team down to meet my family, right? But get into town late enough we can use Jessie as an excuse not to drop in immediately, get a hotel instead, go find a bar. One of us can sneak a text to Jackie, have her meet us at the bar later, after the guys have had a bit. They won't know who she is, so if—when—they try to pick her up, we trounce 'em." Jake beamed, imminently pleased with his little plot.

There was a pause, then Jackie smirked. "Anything for a good laugh. And, hey, forewarned is forearmed with potential footage."

Cougar snorted amusement, nodded. _Yes, play. Ambush. We'll be watching. They won't._

Exuberant and giddy, Jake barely bit back a whoop of glee—mostly only because Jackie slapped a hand over his mouth, admittedly. Abashed but still just as excited, he pulled her hand down and, to distract himself from being noisier than general populace would appreciate, given the time of night, he said, "Okay, that's settled, so let's find another bar!"

Maybe Jackie was beginning to figure out Cougar's tells, because she kind of thought he was hoping for more to drink and another potential fight. 


End file.
